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Colin McDowell

With a career spanning over 30 years, Colin McDowell is one of the fashion industry’s most senior and respected fashion commentators. His work has appeared in major British newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times Style Magazine, which he has been contributing to for the past fifteen years. He has authored over 20 books including biographies of Ralph Lauren, Manolo Blahnik and John Galliano. In 2013, Phaidon released The Anatomy of Fashion.

McDowell has also worked on scripts for television and radio programmes on the subject of social history of dress. His curation credits include: Manolo Blahnik (2003) and Drawing Fashion (2010) at The Design Museum and Masters of Style (2011) at Somerset House.

McDowell is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Senior Fellow of the Royal College. In 2008 he was appointed MBE for his services to international fashion. As well as being Creative Director of the Audi Fashion Festival, Singapore, he is also the founder and Creative Director of Fashion Fringe – a talent search and mentoring programme set up in 2003 with IMG, to strengthen London as a fashion centre by encouraging and developing young talents. Notable winners include Erdem Moralioglu, Basso & Brooke and Aminaka Wilmont.